Kudos to all who ran for office

We’d like to congratulate all those who sought office in Saturday’s
city and school elections around the county.

Yes, it may be more customary to congratulate only the candidates who
got the most votes — after all, they took the top spots in their respective
races by out-polling the opposition.

But in our view, all those men and women who filed for office and
conducted campaigns for council and school board posts are winners.

We admire people who are willing to make a commitment, who aren’t
afraid to go out on a limb in an effort to improve their communities.

Those who file for office risk a lot. When they declare their
candidacy, they open themselves up to public inspection and set themselves up
for criticism and potshots from a variety of tormentors.

You know how it works. You’ve seen the angry faces at the meetings and
heard and read the negative comments and accusations that are often hurled
across the meeting rooms, posted on the Internet and mailed to the local
newspaper.

Sure, a certain amount of criticism is to be expected when you seek
public office or serve in an elected position. That’s what the word “public”
means. It helps to have a thick skin if you’re going to become involved in
local politics.

Now, don’t get us wrong — we’re not suggesting that you feel sorry for
any candidate or elected official, only that you give them a fair chance.

That’s especially true now that the votes are counted — it’s time to
put our differences aside and move forward.

Instead of working overtime to be critical of those who were elected —
even if we voted for someone else — maybe we should make a greater effort to
listen to their ideas and try to work with them to make improvements that will
benefit everyone.

That’s the least we can do because when you stop and think about it, we
owe them a lot.

Being an elected official is no easy job, and it is a job — don’t let
anyone tell you different. Serving on a council or school board requires a ton
of sacrifice, a lot of long hours and plenty of hard work.

That’s why we’re congratulating all the candidates.

In our view, everyone on the ballot Saturday was a winner, no matter
the outcome of the individual races.

If you weren’t elected, thanks for giving it your best shot. You’re a
credit to your community.

And if you were victorious, we wish you the very best in your next
term. Thanks for caring enough to serve.

As for the rest of us, it’s time to put the election behind and move
ahead. Let’s get to work and see what we can accomplish together.

Comments

DentonRC.com is now using Facebook Comments. To post a comment, log into Facebook and then add your comment below. Your comment is subject to Facebook's Privacy Policy and Terms of Service on data use. If you don't want your comment to appear on Facebook, uncheck the 'Post to Facebook' box. To find out more, read the FAQ .